One may be surprised to recognize that in the elections of 1876. 1888 and 2000. the campaigners who won the countrywide popular ballot went on to lose the United States Presidential ballot. This may do one to doubt whether the electoral procedure is so democratic. ‘Democracy’ was derived from the Grecian word ‘demos’ defined fundamentally as the authorities in which the supreme power is vested in the people or merely as President Abraham Lincoln defined it ; the authorities of the people. by the people. for the people.
Therefore. if popular campaigners are forced by the system to be the also-rans. the electoral procedure of the United States undermines democracy. Mayors. Senators and members of the House of Representatives are voted in straight by the people ; but the job arises in the presidential elections where the people vote for the ‘elector’ who has pledged to stand for a certain campaigner. Each province chooses a figure of representatives that are referred to as the Electoral College ; the figure being stated in the fundamental law and determined by the population of each province.
A good illustration is California that has 55 electoral ballots while Utah has merely five. In many States. if one wins the popular ballot. he or she is assigned all the delegates even though he has worn by merely one ballot. This is pathetic! However. few provinces allocate delegates to presidential campaigners relative to the popular ballot that they get. This means that a presidential campaigner can win in many of the smaller States but get less ballots than the winning campaigner in the States with more delegates.
Therefore. in the overall count he or she will lose. This explains why Al Gore lost to President George Walker Bush though the former had won the popular ballot in the twelvemonth 2000. When a Gallup canvass was conducted subsequently. 83 % of those interviewed said that they ne’er accepted Bush as the legitimate president. The other short autumn with the procedure is that while the President and the Vice President regulation for four old ages. Congressmans serve for two old ages and Senators for six. This means that much money and clip is lost in the election period.
The President and the Vice President. merely like the other leaders should be voted in straight by the people. The campaigner who gets the bulk votes becomes the President with his or her running mate going the Vice president. The footings of service for all the political leaders should run out after the same continuance. This would intend that elections are held on the same twenty-four hours. salvaging much money used for the purchase ballot stuffs and the hiring of election officers every clip the elections are held. Time used in vote will besides be saved. as people will vote for all leaders at the same clip.
